Conventionally, the processing of color photographic materials comprises a color developing step, a bleaching step, a fixing step, a final rinsing step, and a drying step. By causing the rinsing solution to run evenly over the photographic product during the drying stage, the subsequent drying of the photographic product is improved. When the rinsing solution does not run evenly, marks appear on the photographic product due to uneven evaporation of the rinsing solution during drying.
It is therefore especially important to have a rinsing solution that runs evenly over the photographic product, especially over the support of the photographic product.
So that the rinsing solution runs more evenly, rinsing solutions containing surfactants are conventionally used.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,534,396 describes a rinsing solution containing a non-ionic surfactant and an anionic surfactant, this rinsing solution having a surface tension less than or equal to 32 mN/m. Such a rinsing solution runs more evenly over the perforations in the photographic material, leaving fewer marks on the photographic material after processing and drying. However, this rinsing solution leaves drying defects in the form of smears of calcium and(or)sodium salts on the surface of the film support. These defects are due to an uneven flow of the solution layer over the film support surface.
It is desirable to have a rinsing solution that runs more evenly over the surface of the processed photographic product, not just where its perforations are, but over all the surface of the support of the product.